Constraints on Non-minimal Coupling from Quantum Cosmology

Constraints on Non-minimal Coupling from Quantum Cosmology
Dr. Shao-Jiang Wang, Tufts University
Shao-Jiang Wang Photo
Date and time: Tue, Oct 29, 2019 - 2:30pm
Location: LGRT 419B
Category: ACFI Seminar
Abstract:

Quantum cosmology is investigated in a de Sitter minisuperspace model with a quantized scalar field non-minimally coupled to curvature. Quantum states of the scalar field must satisfy the regularity condition, which requires that the probability of field fluctuations should not increase with their amplitude. We show that this condition imposes constraints on the allowed values of the curvature coupling parameter ξ. This is a surprising result, since the field dynamics depends only on the combination m^2+ξR, where mis the field mass and R=const is the curvature, and does not depend on ξ separately.